I was lucky enough to meet Fernando when I was a child, and one of the deepest memories I have of him is the warmth and affection he radiated. He was an extraordinary person, deeply human and generous, with a very special sensitivity for seeing, listening to and welcoming those around him. He made everyone feel important, valued and loved, and through his gestures and his way of moving through the world, he showed that solidarity, cooperation and commitment to others are so much more than words.

As he himself used to say: “We work because we believe that there must be something called justice, where borders are not scars that separate people from one another, because beneath our skin, we are all the same.”

That is why, when I was given the opportunity to join the Foundation, I felt it was a very special chance to keep alive everything that Fernando had sown. Being part of it is, for me, a way of nurturing and helping that seed grow so that it can continue to bear fruit in the lives of many other people, just as it once did in mine.